DVD review (region 2)
Directed by David Lynch
Starring Laura Dern, Peter J Lucas, Justin Theroux, Jeremy Irons
Release date Out now

Hollywood actress Nikki Grace begins production on a new movie based on a script with a troubled history. As filming progresses, the line between Nikki’s life and that of her character become blurred…

In a way, it’s almost amusing to sum up the plot of Inland Empire in a couple of sentences. Sure, on one level it’s about the life of an actress slowly unravelling. But who and what is real and what lies in the minds of its characters? Who is the mysterious ‘Mr K’ in the grimy office at the top of the stairwell? And where exactly does the rabbit family fit in?

You could spend several months deconstructing the movie, but in truth it’s best not to try too hard to fathom it out or you could risk ruining the experience. Inland Empire is closer to free-form jazz or a stream-of-consciousness than traditional narrative cinema, and at times this brain-scrambling three-hour onslaught makes you feel like you’ve been beamed directly into the head of a highly disturbed individual.

It should be an unwatchable, horrible self-indulgent mess. And if you catch it in the wrong mood then that’s exactly what it will be. But if you’re prepared to be carried along by the hypnotic rhythms and dreamlike logic of the picture, then Inland Empire is also another mesmerising movie experience from one of cinema’s most consistently brilliant filmmakers.

On the surface there is much here to suggest that we’re firmly in Lynch country – fizzling lightbulbs, red curtains, Hollywood backdrop, fractured causality. But Lynch goes deeper into experimental art cinema than ever before, given a bounce by the freedom of shooting on DV with a small crew over a period of years. It’s held together by a tour-de-force performance from Lynch regular Laura Dern, who goes from mild-mannered actress to a walking embodiment of fear, confusion and rage - you care what happens to her even if you don’t know who she really is or what the hell is going on.

Aside from a brief appearance from the ever-brilliant Harry Dean Stanton as a down-on-his-luck producer, what Inland Empire does lack is the quirky, deadpan characters that have always been such a joy of Lynch’s work. But then Lynch isn’t one to pander to audience expectations. This is a director with enough confidence and clout to make whatever kind of picture he damn well wants nowadays. At worst this can be accused of leading him into self-indulgence and a lack of discipline. Yet this is also one of the few contemporary film-makers with a unique and utterly compulsive personal vision – and he still manages to end an epic experimental movie with a fun, toe-tapping end credit sequence.

In terms of DVD extras, Lynch fans will no doubt know the score by now – there’s no commentary and there’s no chapter selection option (though it would be virtually impossible to break Inland Empire down into distinct ‘chapters’ anyway). This double-disc edition does come with a selection of Lynch interviews (which sometimes overlap in terms of info), including one conducted by Internal Affairs director Mike Figgis that has Lynch returning to his beloved “ideas as fish” notion. Pick of the bunch is one conducted by Mark Kermode in which Lynch gives as comprehensive an understanding of Inland Empire as you’re ever likely to get. Matt McAllister

VERDICT: 8/10
Probably the strangest mystery thriller you’ll ever see. One best viewed in a confused, feverish state of mind for maximum impact.